Is true love possible for a second time with the same person? I'm always a sucker for a marriage-in-trouble, second chance romance, and RULES FOR SECOND CHANCES was a joy to read. But what I really loved and admired most was how much this story focuses on self-discovery, self-acceptance and self-expression as Liz embraces who she really is. Liz wants people to see her and no longer be the supporting role in her life (and invisible next to her charming, extroverted husband) - but the main star.

I appreciated the reminders: don't just take what you can get, but instead go after what it is you want and closing yourself off due to fear or discomfort can prevent you from discovering your truth, no matter what happens even when your life is scary - know that you will be okay, surprising yourself with what you are capable of. Romance is my favorite genre, but this book felt so much more than just a romance. I deeply connected and related to Liz, and am so happy to have read Liz and Tobin's story.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the digital arc in exchange for my honest review.

As a woman who recently realized that I am probably autistic, I was excited to read this debut novel from Maggie North about a FMC on a similar journey. I started reading and immediately wished I could read faster because I was so eager to see where each plot thread was leading. That sense of being bodily dragged through the book (in a good way! 😅) lasted until the last page. I was rooting for Liz and Tobin from page 1, and loved how they were both three-dimensional people with very relatable foibles and failures without drifting into being annoying or caricatures of themselves. There was a lot of plot, but it never got confusing, just kept things interesting and varied and layered in a way that can be challenging in a contemporary romance in particular. The book deals with serious issues (a marriage in crisis, the FMCs realization that she is autistic, toxic family relationships, and narcissism), giving enough space to each without getting bogged down in any one and keeping the romance at the center in a way that felt natural. At the same time, the book keeps a light and tender heart that makes it a joy to read.

I’m crossing fingers that the breadcrumbs of other potential romances sprinkled throughout means there are plans for more novels set in Pendleton? 🤞

I have totally immersed myself into this book. It really showed the other side of a happy ever after where the couple have drifted apart, and communication has halted. Both Liz and Tobin are easy to love and to keep cheering for them to make it. All around this book was just lovely.

This was a lovely second chance romance/women's fiction book. It's about Liz, small town girl, looking for big adventure in her life and marriage. Her and Tobin were good and I did enjoy where their second chance took us in Liz's point of view and journey. I wish I loved it more than I did but it got a bit tedious through the middle for me as I couldn't fully connect with Liz. A worthwhile story though and great setting and secondary characters.

Rules for Second Chances by debut author Maggie North, published by St. Martin's Griffin, is a stunning book. A wonderful read that had me in knots at some time. Had me in tears tore me apart and put me back together inn the end.
A wonderful story with characters easy to connect with.
Liz is the quiet reseved one who wants to change. Tobin, her husband is the life of the party, the popular one, the successful wilderness guide who wants a breath of fresh air for their marriage.

FINALLY a marriage-in-trouble book done right. This book follows Liz and Tobin as they rebuild and work on their struggling marriage and themselves. The issues that Liz and Tobin faced in their marriage were so (painfully) realistic (family, work/money, themselves, etc). It was nice to see them genuinely putting the effort in to fix their marriage. This is a single POV book and while they both do grow as individuals, seeing Liz's journey was especially nice. Both Liz and Tobin are unequivocally dedicated to each other, which was a breath of fresh air (with so many books adding unnecessary other people into the mix).

This was such a powerful romance—I'm not sure when I've seen a relationship explored with such nuance and sensitivity for the internal journeys of both characters. This is a true second-chance romance, where the characters learn and grow together in order to become better partners for each other, and I was so moved by the character arcs. Plus, the chemistry and atmosphere were chef's kiss!

I was able to read an early copy via NetGalley & this is such a good book! A well written 2nd chance story about 2 characters who are already married but have hit a rough patch. Liz & Tobin are the couple you root for to figure things out & make it to their 2nd happily ever after. They battle personal insecurities & meddlesome family members while working on their marriage via improv. I loved the way Maggie North wrote about autism and I hope it helps others see how they treat people who are 'other' and reconsider their actions. I can't wait to read more from this new author!

Liz is a quiet minor character in her own
life. Her husband Tobin is the popular and outgoing wilderness guide... She desperately wants to change and he wants to change their marriage....

Love this second chance romance. Liz and Tobin are terrific together. I love how they work out their relationship...
Terrific story.

Thanks to the publisher for the arc.

As much as I wanted to love this I had a hard time connecting with this story, and I believe much of that stems from the limited amount of dialogue and single POV. Every time Liz and Tobin got together they barely made it through three sentences of actual conversation before she ran off. I feel like we didn’t get much out of him until the very last chapter, and… I was left wanting more. I would have loved a few chapters from his perspective. There is so much potential here, but I don’t understand how Liz expected to repair her relationship with either Tobin or Amber when she was constantly running off after making one emotional statement. Amber was especially terrible.

The formatting of text messages was a bit confusing—especially in chapter 8 where it seemed like internal dialogue was interspersed with the message contents.

Overall 3.5 stars. I am interested to see how this author develops future works.

Seriously knocked my socks off. I have never felt so “seen” in my entire life. While I don’t share Liz’s marriage troubles, I relate to her in almost every other way. She is me, only she is figuring herself out at a much earlier stage. Kudos to the author for giving us such realistically imperfect characters to love and learn from. I was hooked from the very first page.

Quick Summary: A "perfect moment come to life"

My Review: Rules for Second Chances by Maggie North was a second chance women's fiction story/romance. It featured an outgoing wilderness adventurer (Tobin) and a quirky, introverted number cruncher (Liz).

About the Book: It takes two people to make a marriage work. What happens when one person loses sight of the other? What happens when the hopes and dreams of the future disappear? What happens when the two are no longer seen as one?

My Final Say: This book was lovely. There were so many issues at play. While it did focus on Tobin and Liz, it also touched on some heavy family dysfunctions. I loved that it largely concentrated on what it takes to rebuild a healthy marriage. Additionally, I appreciated how it centered attention on acceptance of self and on embracing a united partnership via unconditional love. Readers who enjoy realistic fiction and stories of personal development and growth will love this story.

Rating: 4/5
Recommend: Yes
Audience: A
Status/Level: 💗

Thank you to the author, to the publisher (St. Martin's Press, St. Martin's Griffin), and to NetGalley for granting access to a digital ARC of this work. I am grateful to have had the opportunity to review this title.

Very sweet and beautifully descriptive. This character description is one of the best I've ever read: "If she met a unicorn in real life, she'd snap off its horn and tell it to be happy being a horse." The improv-as-therapy concept was original and interesting to read.

This book gave me feels! I think the author does a great job with character arcs and threading the needle between making the reader frustrated and then explaining actions- very well done!

“But the truth is, magic is the only thing that matters. Without it, I’ll always be a side character. I’ll always be a voice that gets talked over. I’ll always feel pinned by fear, poisoned with frustration and resentment.”

This book is definitely in my top 5 reads this year! It made me laugh and it made me cry, it was the perfect amount of steamy & was so heartwarming! The spicy tension between Liz and Tobin was so thick I felt like I was feeling it myself!

The character development in this book was unbelievable and I have never felt like I’ve known book characters better than I do Liz & Tobin! The struggles of social anxiety are so common & rarely talked about in everyday life let alone in a book. I feel anyone who reads this would understand the impact of social anxiety just a little bit better!

Overall this was a great read that went at a steady comfortable pace & I can’t wait to read more by Maggie North!!

Second chance romance girlies, we rise, with scorching fulfillment that are angst filled yearning hearts will be battered then swept clean with attentive care of being pieced back together. I loved this debut, and I love this journey Maggie North has written in such a heartfelt way.

I loved Liz and Tobin in a way that works for love rather than letting it sit idly by and staring at it in hopes it’ll fill up the spaces we need if we just stare at it long enough.

And I love Rules for Second Chances in way that shares a need for self, the actualization of our truths and who we are, and wanting to share it with people who recognizes it and loves it ten times more than we could ever have hoped for.

An incredibly beautiful second chance story that will grip you from the beginning, tug at your heart throughout, and gently heal you at the end.

Maggie North spins words together in such a consistently warm and inviting way, that you’re simultaneously invested in the storytelling while taking moments to gasp at her delicately strong prose. The emotions packed into this book had me taking moments for reprieve because of how visceral it all felt.

Marriage in trouble/marriage reconciliation are some of my favorite types of romance books to read (though there aren’t enough in the genre) and Rules to Second Chances is prime example as to everything done right with this trope. The stakes were high and realistic, the chemistry between the characters was established early on and palpable and believable, and outside characters and storylines were pertinent to the main event and held their own importance and weight. This was a love story between two people meant to be together, but also between a woman and her own self-discovery. And this was also a sorry about Yeti, a himbo of a cat who deserves all the accolades.

The ending of this this story was spectacular and absolutely hard earned. This book is for the people who long to be seen for who they are and accepted in the same right. This is for the independent souls who still need to be taken care of. This is for the romantic hearts that truly believe in second chances. This is a book I will be recommending until my last breath.

Thank you, NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for this advance copy. All opinions are my own!

Achingly tender, beautifully written, RULES FOR SECOND CHANCES is an unflinching marriage in crisis romance that hinges brilliantly on both humor and heart. An ode to neurodivergence, self-discovery, the work and wonder of vulnerable, intimate long term partnership, and the magic of making an authentic life with those we love. I adored it!